JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a former general implicated in past human rights atrocities, claimed victory in Indonesia's presidential election on Wednesday based on an unofficial count.
The 72-year-old candidate, who was once banned from entering the United States for 20 years because of his human rights record, spoke of his victory to thousands of supporters at a sports stadium in the capital Jakarta, according to early reports. , an unofficial “quick count” was “a victory for all Indonesians.”
There has been no declaration by election officials, and two former governors who also ran for office in the world's third-largest democracy have not acknowledged defeat.
Subianto was an army general during the brutal years of the Suharto dictatorship, which ended just over 25 years ago. He was a special forces commander in a unit linked to torture and disappearances, allegations he vehemently denies.
Mr. Subianto received 57% to 59% of the vote, with more than 80% of the votes counted at the polling stations sampled, according to an unofficial count conducted by Indonesia's voting body.
The quick count is based on the actual number of votes cast at sample polling stations across Indonesia. Although the painstaking official tally may not be completed for up to a month, the quick count will ensure that all four presidential elections held in Indonesia since in-person voting began in 2004. I was able to accurately understand the results.
“We are grateful for the speedy results,” he said in a nationally televised speech. “We must not be arrogant, we must not be proud, we must not be euphoric, but we must still be humble. This victory must be a victory for all Indonesians. It won’t.”
To avoid a runoff between rivals Anies Baswedan and Gunjal Pranowo, Subianto needs to win at least 50% of the total vote and at least 20% in each state of the country.
Subianto announced himself as his successor. Joko Widodo, the extremely popular incumbent presidentselected his son as his running mate.
Mr. Widodo's successor will inherit the economy It includes spectacular growth and ambitious infrastructure projects, including moving the capital from congested Jakarta to the remote island of Borneo, underway at a staggering cost of more than $30 billion.
The election also US and ChinaThis is because Indonesia has a huge domestic market, natural resources such as nickel and palm oil, and diplomatic influence with its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Widodo's rise to the presidency from a riverside slum demonstrated the vibrancy of Indonesia's democracy in a region plagued by dictatorships.
But leading candidates with ties to the former dictator and Mr. Widodo's son are also on the ballot, leading some observers to worry that democracy is being eroded.
Indonesians cast their votes on Wednesday in an election that took just six hours. The logistics of voting on her 17,000 islands in this tropical country of 270 million people were daunting. Ballot boxes and ballots were transported by boat, motorcycle, horse, and in some remote areas on foot.
Apart from the presidency, tens of thousands of candidates competed for about 20,000 national, state, and local legislative posts. One of the world's largest electionsAuthorities said the incident was completed without any major problems. Approximately 10,000 candidates from 18 political parties were aiming for just 580 seats in parliament.
Voters interviewed by The Associated Press expressed hope that the next leader will help them achieve greater prosperity in a country where nearly a tenth of the population still lives in poverty.
“I hope Indonesia will develop better and I hope I didn't vote for the wrong person,” said Indra Nurohim, a 17-year-old high school student who became a first-time voter. “I hope we have a better government.”
subianto Oldest presidential candidate at 72 years oldAlthough he lost to Widodo in the previous two races, he was the top candidate according to an independent survey. His running mate, Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabming Raka, was cleared to run when: constitutional court At the time, the court was presided over by Mr. Widodo's brother-in-law, but when Mr. Widodo refused to recuse himself, he was removed by the Ethics Committee, and Mr. Widodo was accused of favoritism and nepotism.
Critics say Widodo is the first president to come from outside the political and military elite since the end of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998, which was marked by widespread human rights abuses, looting and political instability. accused of trying to build a political dynasty.
Subianto, a former lieutenant general who is married to one of Suharto's daughters, was for many years the commander of an army special forces unit called Kopassus. He was dishonorably released in 1998 after Kopassus forces kidnapped and tortured Suharto's political opponents.
Of the at least 22 activists kidnapped that year, 13 are still missing, and their families hold weekly protests outside the presidential palace demanding accountability for the activists. Subianto was never tried and denied his involvement, but several of his subordinates were tried and convicted.
During the campaign, which ended last weekend, Subianto and his strategists AI and social media Platforms like TikTok have tried to soften his image by portraying him as a kind grandfather to his young running mates. Rejected by human rights activists, he danced on the campaign stage, promising to create nearly 20 million jobs in his first term if elected.
Baswedan is a former rector of Islamic University and served as governor of Jakarta until last year. Baswedan, a former Fulbright scholar, served as Minister of Education and Culture from 2014 to 2016, but President Widodo removed him from the Cabinet for failing to address the issue of thousands of students affected by forest fires. I removed it.
Baswedan opposes Widodo's plan to move Indonesia's capital from Jakarta to Nusantara on the island of Borneo. The plan includes cutting down lush rainforest to make way for government buildings and residential areas.
in an interview He told The Associated Press last month that Indonesia's democracy was under threat after Subianto chose the president's son as his running mate.
“This means less trust, it means less quality of democracy, it means a lot of legal rules are being bent,” he said.
Mr. Pranowo is the ruling party's candidate, but he does not have the support of Mr. Widodo. He served as a member of parliament for the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle for 10 years before being elected to the first of two terms as governor of the vote-rich Central Java region in 2013.
During his tenure as governor, Pranowo rejected Israel's participation in the U-20 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the state. FIFA subsequently removed Indonesia from hosting the match, angering Indonesian soccer fans and Widodo.
Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.
Under Widodo, Indonesia has achieved impressive annual growth of 5%, with the exception of 2020, when the economy shrank due to the coronavirus pandemic.
His economic roadmap, dubbed “Golden Indonesia 2045,” predicts Indonesia will become one of the world's top five economies with a GDP of up to $9 trillion, exactly a century after winning independence from its Dutch colony. are doing.
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Associated Press journalist Jim Gomez contributed to this report.
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